LoveGame
by peut-etre-poulet
Summary: spoilers: LARYNGITIS - Pucedes; 'Do you want love or you want fame? Are you in the game' At first Mercedes resists the idea of dating Puck.


**Title::..**LoveGame  
**Spoilers::..**_Laryngitis_  
**Rating::..**G  
**Genre::..**Fluff  
**Characters::..**Mercedes, Puck, Will, Santana and Kurt  
**Pairing::..**Pucedes  
**Author's Note::..**I wrote this while I was watching the _Laryngitis_ episode for the second time and I couldn't think of anything else _Glee_ to write about. I guess it's a missing scene fic, expanding on Mercedes and Puck's relationship. I also added in a Kurcedes scene because they're usually besties but they didn't talk at all during this episode. The title and lyrics come from the Lady Gaga song of the same name. So you can imagine Mercedes singing it, perhaps accompanied by Puck.  
**Summary::..**_Do you want love or you want fame? Are you in the game?_ At first Mercedes resists the idea of dating Puck.

* * *

At first Mercedes resisted the idea of Puck. Noah 'Puck' Puckerman, with his newly shaved head, that cocky grin fixed to his face and the long list of girls he had played – including the new, super-sized version of Quinn. Everyone knew what kind of guy he was, a self-assured jerk. There had been nothing to create an appeal for her. She had been repulsed by his first offer. Did he really think she was dumb enough to let him screw her around until Santana decided she wanted him back?

There had been no question. He was a creep. He would only use her and he was not worth her time. She looked forward to the day when she had her first boyfriend. But she was hardly desperate enough to date someone she had nothing in common with. There was nothing there to spark the flame of attraction. Noah 'Puck' Puckerman was not the right man for Mercedes. She wouldn't even entertain the idea.

* * *

It was hard to deny that Puck had clearly put a lot of effort into trying to impress her. He had gotten up in front of the entire Glee club and risked making a fool out of himself for her approval. She couldn't ignore this behaviour. A boy had never gone to such lengths for her attention before. She must admit she loved how special it made her feel. Someone like Puck thought she was worthy of a solo in Glee? It seemed much too amazing to be real. Had she fallen asleep during Finn's serenading of Rachel?

Mercedes realized she was still awake when Puck grabbed her hand and pulled her up to the front of the room to sing with him. She felt the warmth of his calloused hand wrapped securely around hers. She couldn't resist the beat and so began to sing along with him. It was one of the best moments in Glee history, far exceeding any solo she had sung.

This had been a display for ten other people to see, including three of his ex-girlfriends. He didn't care who knew how much he liked her. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was interested in her – a person who hadn't even been remembered for the Glist. Puck finally knew who she was, not just another freak to throw a slushie at.

This day revealed a different side of him. He looked pretty damn fine out of his sloppy jeans and sweatshirts. Why hadn't he ever shown off these dance moves before? She wouldn't mind if he sang to her like this every day. Who cared about having things in common? They had musical chemistry, what else did they need?

Maybe she could allow herself to consider reciprocating his feelings. She understood what unrequited love felt like. She did not wish to be responsible for stinging another with such a feeling. Perhaps she had over-looked Puck too easily. She had allowed all of the negative things about him to restrain her from discovering some positive traits. She could give him a chance. So she stayed behind after Glee to express her delight in singing with him.

He surprised her further by remaining very humble. "It was all you."

"I'm sure that some of it was you as well." She stated, as Santana and Quinn took the longest to leave the room.

He shrugged in a slightly bashful way. "Maybe." He checked over his shoulder. Santana's eyes were locked onto him until she finally disappeared out the door. When he turned back he was smiling. "How do you get to school every day?"

"Kurt picks me up in his car." She said.

"Not tomorrow." He decided. "I'll be at your place by nine."

"Okay." She agreed, figuring she had nothing to lose. He left first and her eyes floated below his belt as she slowly followed him out of the room. He glanced over his shoulder and instantly caught her checking him out. She fell to embarrassed laughter while he grinned proudly.

* * *

Quinn was shoved into the backseat, deemed as unimportant to Puck. This allowed Mercedes the passenger seat beside him, where she could sit and (for the entire trip to school) regret giving him a chance. All he said was either about the Mario Brothers or something disgustingly politically incorrect. Mercedes was rolling her eyes in the front seat almost as often as Quinn was from her seat in the back. The fact that they had nothing in common was inescapable. If he wasn't flirting with her he really didn't have anything important to say. This all seemed like a waste of her time.

* * *

Mercedes' opinion was again changed when she was walking down the hall with Puck by her side and all eyes on her. The entire student body saw her in her Cheerio's uniform with Puck talking to her and everything they had thought about Mercedes Jones before was forgotten. She could move up to the status which had slipped through Quinn's fingers. A status Mercedes had only been able to dream of before. If she could train Puck into a smarter boyfriend this could really work in her favour.

* * *

Santana draped her arms around Puck. She didn't seem to want him for herself. But the moment another looked at him she sunk her claws back in. He didn't push her away. Rather he was enjoying all of the attention. Two girls fighting over him, he wasn't going to pick a side.

Mercedes wasn't afraid of Santana. She would kick the skinny bitch to the ground if she had to. She was sick of Santana and the others pushing Mercedes and her friends down. It was Mercedes turn now and she was not going to let Santana (the owner of the shortest skirts ever manufactured) take it away from her. Mr Schuester put his body between them before any real damage could be done.

"His hair is already starting to grow back." Santana pointed out before strutting out of the room.

Mercedes stood at the front of the room beside Mr Schuester. The others sat in their seats with nowhere to look but at her. She took in many deep breaths, attempting to regain the breaths she had lost while dueling with Santana. She turned her face away and Mr Schuester took this as his queue to announce a five-minute break.

Puck shuffled his feet along until the others were gone. Then turned to Mercedes. "I don't know what Santana's deal is."

"She doesn't like people intruding on her territory, _that's_ her deal." She stated.

He scoffed. "I'm not her property, I'm a free man." He changed his mind when she sent him a dark look. "Or I was…"

"So you're over her?" She asked.

"Totally. Babe, you're the only girl for me." He told her. "Do you want me to sing to you again?"

"That's okay." She dismissed.

"It sucks that Mr Schue got in the middle of it, 'coz you could easily take Santana." He stated.

"Tell me something I don't know Slick." She replied. She would have preferred him to have left along with the others. Was he worth all of this? He may have been the hottest guy in school but she wasn't sure if her attraction for him spanned further than his musical talents. When he moved in closer to her (perhaps to grant her the magical first kiss) she walked away.

* * *

Mercedes felt so liberated to be out of her Cheerios uniform. She no longer had to live up to Sue Sylvester and the rest of the school's expectations. She could be herself again. Being a misfit suited her. She felt more confident in her normal clothes than she had ever been hiding behind the idea of a cheerleader.

"Good, I was gonna break up with you anyway." Puck snapped.

"You good?" She asked, patronizingly reserved. "You feel better now that you've knocked someone else down?"

"Shut up." He said. "I'm never dating a Glee chick again."

She shrugged. "Whatever." He needed to stop letting himself be defined by the ideas of others. But it wasn't her problem. Not anymore. "Good luck with growing your mohawk back." She walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of the hallway by himself. She didn't bother to check on him over her shoulder. Her attention was grabbed by Kurt, exiting a room up ahead. She increased her pace, anxious to catch up with him. "Kurt? Hey."

"No more Cheerios?" He asked.

"No more." She agreed. "Back to being an ignored Gleek." She linked her arm around his. "You're in your normal clothes again. Skinny legged jeans suit you much better than flannelette shirts. No offense."

"None taken." He replied. "What happened with Puckerman?"

"I think I need a tub of ice-cream in front of me before I discuss that." She stated.

"Just what I need: girl talk." He grinned.

**The End.**


End file.
